Cemetery Archives - Lost In Michigan

The Dreadful Reality of the Downtrodden at Eloise Asylum

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Detroit .

one of the few remaining buildings from the Eloise complex.

Some say that the Eloise Asylum near Westland on Michigan Ave. is one of Michigan’s most haunted places, I am not sure about that claim, but I would say it’s one of Michigan more interesting places, with a lot of history both good and sad.

The place began in 1839 when a log cabin known as the Black Horse Tavern and its property was converted into a poor house and 35 of the overcrowded tenants at the Wayne County poor house in Hamtramck were transferred to the newly constructed buildings. For years it was known as the Wayne County Poor House until a post office was opened in 1894 and named after Eloise Dickerson Davock the daughter of Detroit’s postmaster.

In 1913 there were three divisions: The Eloise Hospital(Mental Hospital), the Eloise Infirmary (Poorhouse) and the Eloise Sanitarium (T.B. Hospital) . Over the years the complex continued to grow with about 10,000 residents at its peak during the Great Depression. It had its own police and fire department, railroad and trolley stations, bakery, amusement hall, laundries, and a powerhouse. It also had many farm buildings including a dairy herd and dairy barns, a piggery, a root cellar, a Tobacco curing building, and employee housing.

Eloise was one of the first if not the first hospital to use x-rays for diagnosis performed by Dr.Albarran. Patients came from Detroit and other communities to have x-rays done. It also housed the first kidney dialysis unit in the State of Michigan and was a pioneer in the field of Music Therapy.

the old Eloise Cemetery on Henry Ruff Road.

The other part of Eloise that remains, are the cemeteries and with a complex that had about 10,000 people living there, death was a regular occurrence. There were a few different locations that the bodies of the patents and residents of the poor house were buried. One of the cemeteries is about a mile away down Henry Ruff road and is nothing more than a field with small stone markers engraved with only a number for the body buried below. It seems rather cruel and inhumane that a person is remembered as a number and not even a name was placed on the marker. They used the cemeteries up until 1948 after that a law was enacted to use the bodies as cadavers for medical training. ( was not able to get a pic of the markers since the cemetery is fenced off and says no trespassing, and I really don’t want to go to jail)

The main building left standing from the former Eloise Complex

The farm operations ceased in 1958 and some of the large psychiatric buildings were vacated in 1973. The psychiatric division started closing in 1977 when the State of Michigan took over the psychiatric division. The general hospital closed in 1984. Many of the buildings are gone and some of the property has been redeveloped into a golf course and condominiums. There is a Michigan Historical Marker near the parking lot.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Decoration Day

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

After the Civil War, American began decorating the graves of loved ones killed in the war. An association of Union Civil War veterans, the Grand Army Of the Republic, began promoting May 30th, as Decoration Day. A day to remember the soldiers that gave their life during the war.

By 1890 each state had officially declared Decoration Day a holiday. After the two World Wars most Americans began calling the day Memorial Day and a day to remember the fallen Military heroes. In 1968, the U.S. government passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which put major holidays on specific Mondays and officially declared the last Monday in May as Memorial Day.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Old Burial Ground

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

A few blocks north of Downtown Monroe on Monroe Street is and old cemetery known as The Old Burial Ground. It was established in 1794 and is the oldest cemetery in the city and one of the oldest in the Great Lakes State. The cemetery is home to the graves of many early settlers, including soldiers who fought in the War of 1812. It is also the final resting place for some of Michigan’s earliest Europeans that were instrumental in the formation of the Michigan Territory including Laurent Durocher, Francois “Francis” Navarre, and Capt John Paxton. Many victims of the cholera epidemic of 1832 are buried in the cemetery.

I wonder how many cars pass by the old burial ground and the people riding inside do not know the history of the Old Burial Ground. If you like old cemeteries and reading old headstones, this is an interesting place to visit.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Heroes in Pinery Cemetery

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

A few miles northeast of L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula is the Pinery Indian Cemetery. The land has been used as a Native American burial ground since the 1600s. Many of the graves have spirit houses. They provide a place for loved ones to leave food, arrows, beads, and items needed for the deceased to travel to the spirit world.

I have been to the national cemeteries in Holly, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek and I have seen veterans sections in other cemeteries. I usually see American flags next to the headstones. It was inspiring to see an American flag next to the spirit houses. It is a reminder that people came from all walks of life and different backgrounds and religions to fight and defend freedom in this country.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula I hope you will take a look at my new book Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula available on Amazon HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

One Eye Pete

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, people .

I was roaming around the Monroe Cemetery located north of Greenville. I saw a tombstone with the words ONE EYE PETE that caught my attention. On the other side is the name of Corp. Peter Nelson.

From what I could find on the internet Peter Nelson came to the United States from Denmark to avoid conscription into the Danish army. He ended up in the Civil War instead. He got the nickname One Eye Pete because he had lost an eye at a young age when a animal swiped at his face and damaged his eye with its claw.

As part of his severance pay from the military he was offered what he saw as swampland in Illinois. He felt you couldn’t grow anything there of he refused it. Today it is part of downtown Chicago, Il. He came to the Greenville area and died in 1904 and was laid to rest in the Monroe Cemetery.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

The Oak Hill Cemetery sits east of downtown Pontiac. It is where the Buckland Memorial Chapel stands. The old English style stone chapel was built in 1898. The cemetery contains the remains of six veterans of the Revolutionary War and well over 27 veterans of the Civil War, including General Israel B. Richardson, Michigan governor Moses Wisner, and General Joseph T. Copeland

Michigan has some of the most beautiful little chapels in cemeteries. Whenever I see them I always think they would make a beautiful wedding chapel, but I am thinking most brides do not want to get married in a cemetery.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Historic White Lake Cemetery

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Cemetery .

I drove past the historic White Lake Cemetery and had to stop and get a pic of the trees showing off their autumn color under the blue sky. A historical marker stands in the old cemetery and gives a little history

This cemetery was established by Robert Garner when his nine-month-old child, Mary, died in 1837. White Lake Road, which runs past it, was once an Indian trail. Garner, a pioneer of White Lake Township, was involved in the establishment of the First Presbyterian Church of White Lake and was the superintendent of a pioneer sabbath school in White Lake. Buried in the cemetery are many of the pioneer families of the township, including the Garners, Seeleys and Voorheises. Also buried here are twenty-eight Civil War veterans and just over forty veterans of succeeding wars. In 1856 the cemetery was formally deeded to the Board of Health of White Lake Township.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Legend of Lakeville Cemetery

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Haunted Places .

The community of Lakeville is located between Oxford and Romeo. It is there that you will find one of the oldest cemeteries in the state that was started in 1846. One of the earliest burials was Private Derrick Hulick, a veteran of the American Revolution who enlisted in the New Jersey militia in June 1776.

At the side of the cemetery is a mausoleum dug into the hillside. It is for James and Elizabeth Dunn, who ran a local sawmill in the early 1890s. James passed in 1930, Elizabeth in 1952. There are several urban legends and myths surrounding the old tomb. On suggests that a young teen couple was dared to spend the night in the tomb and died overnight. Another is that a teen girl was locked inside and she died while clawing at the door trying to escape. And another is that an axe murderer hid bodies in the tomb.

While there is no proof that any of this is true the urban legends continues to live on. I did not see any strange events or spirits when I visited. I thought it was a beautiful historic cemetery with an old and interesting stone mausoleum in the hillside.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

St Peter The Fisherman Cemetery

Posted on October 22, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

south of the historic Fayette townsite is an old cemetery on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A sign next to the road denotes it is St Peter The Fisherman Cemetery. It was the Catholic cemetery for Fayette and a protestant cemetery was north of town. A short trail from the road leads to the cemetery hidden in the trees.

It is a beautiful little cemetery with old headstones and newer wooden crosses. One of the earliest burials was in 1877. The one thing that stood out to me was the metal fencing surround a couple of burial plots. It was strange how it was all mangled and twisted as if some supernatural force hit it. I am thinking a tree fell on it or maybe ice from a storm but for whatever reason it looked odd. If you like old cemeteries and you are visiting Fayette be sure to check out the old cemetery. It is near the Port Bar & Family Restaurant.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Spirits of Quaker Cemetery

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Haunted Places .

concealed in the woods at the end of an unmarked two-track trail is the old Quaker Cemetery. It is in a desolate section a few miles south of Nashville. No, not that Nashville, known for country music, but Nashville Michigan.

Eli Lapham, a Quaker minister, settled the area in 1837. After a sawmill was constructed the area grew in population with people of the Quaker faith. over time the trees were cut down. The swampy area was not good for farming so the Quakers had left leaving behind a small cemetery on a hill.

Sadly many of the headstones are broken. I am not sure if it is due to the ravages of time or vandals, probably a little bit of both. Some say the surrounding woods are haunted by the spirits whose graves have been forgotten. It has been said that you can see spirits among the trees watching visitors. I did not see anyone or anything mysterious. It was sad to see the condition that some of the headstones are in. The old cemetery does seem to have been remembered by the local historical society. A new historical marker stands at the site and the grass was mowed. Maybe the spirits are a little more content and do not bother visitors as long as they behave themselves.

Reminder: Lost in Michigan wall calendars are 50% OFF today in my Zazzle store HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.